I want to warn you about something. Linux compatibility layer is based on Fedora core 4.
As you probably know that is very old release of Fedora. That is becoming a serious issue if you want to run Linux applications. For instance Opera which require Linux compatibility is rather unstable on 4.3 current.

Now most OpenBSD users like myself try by all means to avoid installing Linux packages and usually have Linux compatibility layer turned off. I feel that OpenBSD project is at the point when they should decide if they want to maintain Linux compatibility layer or to get a read of it all together. If they want to keep it the above port should be bumped up to the latest Fedora release. That is a very serious job as Linux kernel has been updated to 2.6. Despite the fact that I try to avoid turning Linux compatibility layer by all means I find it very useful in some cases as I absolutely do not run anything else on my machines but OpenBSD. If the Linux compatibility is removed I might be forced to use Linux in some very special cases.

There is also the issue of FreeBSD compatibility layer (the latest supported packages are for FreeBSD 4.10). At this point the port should be definitely removed at least temporary. I do not know enough to tell you if it is possible to create compatibility layer for the latest FreeBSD 7.0 since OpenBSD and FreeBSD are presently very different operating systems unlike in the past.

I would love to read comments of more experienced people than me about the above issues.

Given the alternatives of focusing on enhancements & refinements over compatibility to other operating systems, the developers obviously choose the former. My understanding is that Linux compatibility is of nominal interest to any of the developers.

The core customers of interest to the OpenBSD project are the project's developers themselves. They simply make public releases every six months as a gift to the rest of us, & source is available at all times. Users have no say as in the project's direction unless significant blocks of code are accepted & incorporated into the source base.

If you have Linux applications which are invaluable, you might consider porting them to OpenBSD & submitting your work for inclusion into the ports system. By doing this, you will benefit both yourself & the community at large.

Given the alternatives of focusing on enhancements & refinements over compatibility to other operating systems, the developers obviously choose the former. My understanding is that Linux compatibility is of nominal interest to any of the developers.

The core customers of interest to the OpenBSD project are the project's developers themselves. They simply make public releases every six months as a gift to the rest of us, & source is available at all times. Users have no say as in the project's direction unless significant blocks of code are accepted & incorporated into the source base.

If you have Linux applications which are invaluable, you might consider porting them to OpenBSD & submitting your work for inclusion into the ports system. By doing this, you will be benefit both yourself & the community at large.

I am familiar with the stated goals of OpenBSD project. I could not agree more with them. That is why as I do not use anything else on any on my computers but OpenBSD. I also said that I have linux compatibility layer turned off on all my machines. The Linux compatibility layer is ONLY needed for running Linux binaries. Examples are infamous Opera web-browser or Adobe Reader. All other software which is truly free (source code available) can be compiled and ported to OpenBSD. My post however did rise some legit questions.

Obviously in the past developers felt need to have Linux compatibility layer
and there is nothing wrong in stating that OpenBSD is mature project with
one of the best packaging systems and almost 5000 ports that doesn't need
such compatibility anymore. Both of us a familiar with the attitude of OpenBSD community towards Linux binaries.

I think and you probably know better than me that bumping up
compatibility layer to Fedora core 9 would actually require some serious
kernel work. I am not qualified for something like that. In the past week or so there have been so many exciting news from Hackaton. I feel that the work on such compatibility layer by any of developers would be waist of time. That might not be the case in incoming months.

By the way the question is already raised on misc@ by Nikolay and it was ignored. My feeling is that the community as a whole is contempt with the fact that OpenBSD will essentially lose Linux compatibility layer in incoming months. My feeling is also that most developers and users generally have the attitude that if one needs Linux specific or Solaris specific application for which only binaries are available that one should run that operating system at least for that specific task.

...My feeling is also that most developers and users generally have the attitude that if one needs Linux specific or Solaris specific application for which only binaries are available that one should run that operating system at least for that specific task.

I believe that is best practice.

Linux emulation has been invaluable, in the past, for things like: JDK build bootstrap, mozilla browsers, soffice, opera-flashplugin. But with the elimination of JDK 1.3-linux as the bootstrap, native ports of mozilla software and openoffice, and with Opera's flashplugin long out-of-date... linux binary compatibility is less critical to OpenBSD's usefulness.

By-note: "old Fedfora core".
For both FreeBSD and OpenBSD, the Linux compatibility is|was based on kernel 2.4.*
Hence s/old/only one left/
FreeBSD has unblocked 2.6 based compatibility layers lately. (FC6)
Call the Linux compatibility a Linux kernel compatibility (and <= 2.6.12 is rather different of >=2.6.24).

Alternative for Flash is to run a minimal Linux distro under the qemulator.